Dinner With The Girls
by Marymel
Summary: Lou has dinner with Catherine and gets to know Maria and Helena.


**Jackson and Greta are my original characters, but I don't own CSI.**

 **Follow-up to my story Aunt Catherine's Birthday. I always liked the relationship between Catherine and Vartann, and I've had this idea for quite a while. I wondered, since it looked like Catherine became Maria and Helena's guardian in Immortality, if she might rekindle her relationship with Lou. So, since I wrote in Aunt Catherine's Birthday that she and Lou might have dinner and Lou could meet the girls, I thought it would be a good story. Here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoy...and pretty please review!**

Catherine Willows stood in front of her full-length mirror and examined her dress for what felt like the fiftieth time. She smiled to herself when she thought of Lou Vartann and their past relationship. She was nervous enough about seeing him again, but her anxiety reached record levels when she thought about introducing him to Maria and Helena. Ever since she became the girls' guardian, she'd loved having them to care for and mother. They, along with Catherine's mother Lillian and daughter Lindsey, were family. She hadn't thought about giving the girls a father figure because, frankly, she felt things were fine as they were.

Catherine sighed exasperatedly as she fixed her hair. Lillian stood in the doorway and laughed softly. "Honey..." Lillian said as she came in the room. "Lou already thinks your beautiful."

A soft smile inched onto Catherine's face and she sighed. "Thank you." The doorbell rang and Catherine sighed expectantly.

On the other side of the door, Lou Vartann took a deep breath. He'd never gotten Catherine out of his system, and always wondered if they could've had a future together. True, they'd gone their separate ways years ago, but he'd never forgotten the beautiful redhead. Now, as he waited for someone to come to the door, he wondered if they really were getting a second chance.

The door opened and Catherine's daughter Lindsey smiled. "Detective," she said.

"Miss CSI," Lou said with a smile of his own. He handed her the bouquet of roses he'd been fidgeting with.

Lindsey smiled. "Thank you. Mom will love these." She stood aside and allowed Lou to come in. He came in and saw two little faces peering from behind the doorway.

"I'll tell mom you're here," Lindsey said as she headed to Catherine's room. She whispered something to the girls as she walked past.

Lou peeked into the den and saw the shy little girls. Maria, the eldest, walked over and sat down on the couch. Her younger sister Helena followed. Lou smiled softly at the two girls. "Hi," he whispered. The girls just looked at the detective. Lou walked into Catherine's den. "I'll bet you're Helena," he said to the girl.

"Yeah," the shy girl said.

"Are you a policeman?"' Maria asked.

"Yes, I am." He sat down across from the girls.

Both girls studied Lou and the detective felt like a suspect in an interrogation. The girls had only lost their mother two years before, and they had become a family with Catherine, Lillian and Lindsey. Now there was this person their guardian had a relationship with in the past. Neither party really knew what to say or do.

Lillian came in and broke the ice. "Lou!" She greeted cheerfully. Lou stood and smiled at Catherine's mother. "Good to see you," he said.

The girls relaxed a bit watching Lillian and Lou hug. Helena was beginning to like him, but Maria was still cautious.

"Great to see you again," Lillian told Lou. "You look great!"

"So do you," Lou said. "As beautiful as ever."

Lillian smiled and laughed softly. "Now I remember why I like you."

Both shared a laugh as the girls looked on. Helena and Maria studied the two like Catherine and Lindsey might study lab results.

Catherine came in and smiled warmly when she saw Lou chatting with her mother and the girls. It looked so...right. She had to admit the man was still handsome and wonderful. She often found herself wondering why their relationship ever ended.

Helena looked over and saw Catherine watching the adults. She hopped off the couch and rushed to hug her. Catherine laughed softly. "Hey, sweetie!"

Lou turned and saw Catherine. Seeing her in a dark blue dress, her hair cascading around her shoulders and a twinkle in her eye, she took his breath away. "Wow," he whispered.

Catherine smiled softly. "Hello to you too."

Helena smiled up at the detective as her sister continued to study him. "I like you," Helena said. "You're nice."

Lou relaxed a bit and smiled softly. "Well, thank you. I like you, too." Helena smiled a smile that was missing two front teeth.

"Well," Lillian said. "Shall we sit down?"

"Yeah," Lindsey added. "Dinner's ready."

Maria slid off the couch as Lou took Catherine's hand. "Ms. Willows?"

"Thank you," Catherine said. She smiled and couldn't help but blush slightly.

Lou led Catherine to the table with Lillian and Helena following closely behind. As Catherine took her seat, Lou held out the chair next to hers for Maria. The little girl looked at the chair.

Catherine smiled at Maria's protectiveness. "It's okay, sweetie." Maria relaxed and climbed into the chair. Helena climbed into the chair across the table.

Everyone sat down as Lindsey and Lillian served dinner. "I made your favorite," Lillian said to the girls as she dished out the lasagna. The girls smiled and eyed their food.

"Thank you," Catherine said as Lillian served her the lasagna. She gave Lou and Lindsey their food and sat down to eat with them.

Maria glanced up every minute or so to watch Lou as he chatted with Catherine. She and her sister knew nothing of their past together. She just knew she and her sister had a family with Catherine, her mother and daughter. While Helena quickly warmed up to the detective, her sister was still cautious.

"So..." Lindsey said as she watched Maria watching the grown-ups.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Lou said. "Jake said to tell you hello."

Catherine smiled. "Oh, how's he doing?"

"Doing great. Looks like we're going to have another Detective Vartann in Vegas before too much longer."

The women smiled. "Yeah?" Catherine asked. "Following in his dad's footsteps, huh?"

"Yep."

"He said he might work a case with me soon," Lindsey said. She'd gotten to know Lou's son when he and Catherine first dated, and they stayed friends.

Maria watched closely as Lou talked with Catherine about his son and different cases he was working on. Helena watched the detective with wide eyes as he talked about how long he'd known Lindsey and Catherine.

"You've known Miss Catherine a long time," Helena said with wide eyes.

Lou smiled softly as Catherine chuckled. "Yes, we have," Catherine said to the sweet girl.

"So," Lou said. "How's everything at the lab? I haven't had much of a chance to talk to Nick since he took over as Grave Shift director."

"He's good," Catherine said. "He's invited us to the dog park one of these days to hang out with him and Jackson and Eli."

Lou was about to respond when Maria said, "Eli's in my class!"

"He is?" Lou asked.

Maria shyly nodded. "Yeah. He knows all about science."

"Just like his daddy," Catherine said thoughtfully. Lou nodded and smiled softly.

"I think Jackson's about Helena's age?" Lou asked.

Helena shook her head. "I'm seven! He's eight. We went to his birthday party!"

"You did?" Lou asked.

"Uh-huh! And we played with his dog!"

"Well, that sounds like fun," Lou said. He smiled when Helena shyly smiled at him.

Slowly, Maria warmed up to the detective, but was still wary. She and her sister were a family with Catherine, Lindsey and Lillian, and she was wary of the new man in her guardian's life.

After dinner, Lou and Catherine joined Lillian and the girls for coffee and cake in the living room. Lou and Catherine were both surprised when Helena climbed onto the couch next to the detective. She gazed at Lou. "Do you like chocolate cake?" Helena asked.

Lou smiled at the sweet girl. "Sure, I do. And it looks like you do, too."

Helena smiled and ate her cake, quickly getting chocolate cake all over her mouth.

Maria smiled at her sister. "When we went to Jackson's birthday party, we had chocolate cake. His sister plopped her hand in the frosting and got it all over!"

Lou and Catherine smiled. "Yeah," Catherine said. "I think the only way little Greta eats birthday cake is with her hands." That brought a soft laugh from everyone.

When the evening winded down, Helena smiled up at Lou. "Are you gonna come over again?"

"I would love to," Lou answered honestly. He smiled at Maria staying close to Catherine. "As long as your sister says it's okay."

"Please!" Helena asked her sister.

Maria looked up at Catherine, who smiled down reassuringly. "I would love that too. You think it would be all right?" Catherine asked. The young girl smiled softly and nodded at her guardian.

"Next time, ask Jake if he wants to come," Lindsey told Lou.

"Yeah, I'd love to see him again," Catherine added. "And..." she took her old flame's hand. "It really was a wonderful evening."

"Yes, it was," Lou said as he looked into Catherine's eyes. She could still take his breath away.

Lou glanced over at the girls, who were watching with wide eyes and smiles. "And..." he said as he smiled at Maria and Helena. "I really enjoyed meeting you."

Helena giggled when he kissed her hand. Maria did the same when he kissed hers. "Goodnight, princesses," Lou said with a smile.

"G'night!" Helena said.

"Goodnight," Maria said. She found herself liking the detective more.

Catherine smiled as the girls smiled and giggled with Lou. She asked herself why she ever let him go.

Lou stood and smiled at Catherine. "I'll see you."

"Yeah," Catherine said with a soft smile. Lindsey and Lillian smiled and said goodnight as Lou left.

Catherine couldn't stop smiling as she watched Lou get in his car and drive away. She remembered how much she truly cared about him when the girls giggling broke her thoughts. She turned and saw Maria and Helena giggle.

"He's nice!" Helena said.

Maria smiled a bit hesitantly. "Yeah. Do you like him?"

Catherine smiled softly. "I do. And I love you girls. And I think he loves you, too."

"Can he come for dinner tomorrow night?" Helena asked. Maria rolled her eyes and giggled softly.

Catherine smiled. "Maybe not tomorrow...but we'll have dinner again soon. Now, time for bed."

Maria and Helena groaned softly, but headed upstairs. "I like him," Helena told her sister.

"He's okay," Maria responded.

Catherine smiled at the girls as she thought of Lou and how she had a new family. She couldn't help thinking that dinner was just the start of something else...something wonderful.

 **The End**


End file.
